Insights
December 31, 2011
The human experience unravels itself through the pulsations of energy in the maturing and developing mind. The awareness of these messages are faint at first, and are often met with doubt and confusion and ignorance. These energetic communications are innate and at the roots of our existence. This original source of communications is more instinctual, more raw, natural, and relies upon intuitive behavior. A type of biological impulse, this impulse or sensation, is implanted within the core elements that make up man’s composition. These feelings or sensations govern the fundamental development of our emotional connections while impacting our conscious imagery of the world. Each feeling or sensation acts as a stimulus on the psychological dimensions of sensory perception and the emotional intelligence. Feelings are what bubble up from emotions and sensations are what is left behind for the individual to experience. Feelings are formulated by conscious and subconscious perceptions and later interlock with beliefs and values and judgements, that may or may not be our own. Feelings and sensations interact for harmonious self-gratification that are in equal and direct reflection to the individual’s conscious perception and emotional intelligence. Feelings and sensations interact within the human experience by way of body/mind/and spirit.
Becoming Self
November 20, 2011
Thoughts control your destiny and you control your thoughts.
Sifu Saleem
The entire universe is one connected consciousness. and within this primal soup of conscious concoctions, exists man’s essential conscious awareness of self. The seedling thoughts of awareness exist in our experiences where they are selected from among unlimited possibilities of experiences. These seeds call out to the inner desires of man while nudging him to observe and develop, to study and gain acquisition of knowledge, and to dream and desire in order to express and create. This is the path for learning, growing and experiencing the self. The most ancient and strongest trait of the self is that of self-preservation, which is considered to be an innate, primitive reaction to life itself, fueled by fear and selfishness. The purpose of the self is to know itself through experiences, and to engage life to expand and express through a crystallization process of unity and separation. The self is unto itself separate by choice, and indivisible in spirit, which is connected by consequences of intuitive interpretation.
Through intended mental thoughts or physical actions, the self can develop the ability to manifest by way of the soul. The soul is submissive to the mind of man (the self). The mind that is charged with burning desire, insight, faith, clear vision, intuitive belief, confidence, and passion can awaken the soul from repose. By assembling these traits, man will embark on a personal journey of discovery and creativity. When man feeds his desires and needs, he elevates his intelligence through his experiences.
The actions of the self are reflected through the soul. When we perform an action through our soul it radiates with uniqueness, power, individuality and keen perception. The self collects and digests the information and the soul expresses it. This information can express through the self (mind) or it can be expressed through the soul (intuitive spirit mind). The creative mind of the self creates through images influenced by the outside world and transmitted to the inside mind of intelligence. This creative process is given birth in accord to the needs and desires of man at a particular developmental cycle so that he can experience growth when ready to do so. On the other hand, the soul, the intuitive spirit mind, creates from the Oneness of Consciousness, a deep core part within that is connected with our creative Source, and transmits to the outside world. The self requires outside interaction to express itself, while the soul requires quiet and stillness, tranquility to reach its optimum point of creativity.
Compromised!
September 25, 2011
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be” …Lao Tzu
Man is a complex organic system with intuitive relationships throughout the physical, emotional and spiritual realms. Man digests and expresses experiences through an abundance of inter-related sensory perceptions. The core of character is molding to conformity through the impact of Cause and Effect. Reflected in mental/emotional harmony or disharmony, tThe structure of man develops from and into a complicated arrangement of endless possibilities. Just as a spider spins its web, to serve as nest and/or trap for its prey, man for the most part unknowingly spins his structures through a combination of conscious and subconscious choices. Filtering through obstructed perceptions and manipulated emotions which are engulfed in beliefs and fiery passions, man becomes a product of his beliefs. His beliefs will always reflect his reality. His choices will always reflect his current circumstances and future possibilities. It is through the Universal Law of Cause and Effect that man must find equilibrium between the physical mind (material things), emotional mind (sensory satisfaction) and spiritual mind (that part of us that yearns to know God). Understanding and accepting the impact of Cause and Effect in his life, man should continually try to reconfigure the current structure of his inner being because his emotions align themselves to support the beliefs he choses. The stronger the belief, the stronger will be the emotional expression of that belief, and mental connections create a habitual confinement within that structure. The structure of man develops in his early years when he is totally dependent and naively trusting. At this point, Man is an open vessel. As an open vessel, he is thirsting to learn and will absorb without awareness or resistance. The seeds are sown of what will instill strong roots within and mold his inner being to reflect the dominating thoughts of his external environment. Such impulses as anger, jealousy, and selfishness will seek their place within along with family values and religious perceptions, and will quickly embed themselves in consciousness and sunconsciousness, begging to be expressed and communicated through a language of acceptance and geographical dominance. The shape of man’s structure will be in relationship to his interpretation of these impulses.
For man’s first decade of life, beliefs are accepted and absorbed from others in authority. The child should be “seen and not heard.” Individual expression of thoughts is suppressed. “Speak only when spoken to,” also molds the child to learn not to speak their own truths. In the second decade of life, the child begins to rebel against some of these embedded beliefs and attempts to begin expressing their intuitive self (mostly on the emotional “feel good” level). This can be a dangerous stage because it is full of entrapment. In the third decade of life, and into adulthood, man reverses psychologically, becoming one of the many. This is reflected through clothing, houses, cars, and so on. His true self has disappeared beneath layers of self doubt, weakness of mind, and the desire to go along to get along.
Star Stuff
August 23, 2011
We are made of star stuff, and we are of the stars.
At a glance, the vast ocean of emptiness that embodies the Universe appears to be without the functional intention of design. However, there are systematic chemical fusions and mathematical intelligence found in elements and their atoms, that reflect grace, beauty and purpose. Through independent unifications of simplistic conceptualizations, this distinctive creativity permeates all matter, allowing the elements to fuse and create new compositions throughout the Universe. The substance that gives birth (through The “Big Bang”) to this intelligent design expresses itself within a creative theory of Oneness of Everything. This Oneness operates in a state of supreme conscious awareness that functions on independent layers through a conscious intelligence. The Universe is designed to fulfill all needs of existence. The Intelligent Designer of Universal Truths responds in action/reaction to necessities of life.
The smallest particles of matter in the Universe are atoms. All elements are made up of atoms, and created in the Universe. Elements are vital for human existence. Atoms have protons and neutrons that bond through strong electrical interaction within the nucleus. Electrons, holding an opposing charge, orbit the nucleus, without bonding directly to it. Atoms are the building blocks of matter/mass. Energy and mass fill the Universe. The total energy contained in an object is identified by its mass. Energy, like mass, cannot be created or destroyed. Cells are made of molecules and molecules are made of atoms of different elements, such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium, to name a few.
Oxygen is the source and supporter of all life. Without oxygen, life would cease to exist. By combining oxygen with hydrogen, water is created which is a vital source of life sustenance. Nitrogen is a constituent element of amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acid, DNA/RNA. It resides in the chemical structure of neurotransmitters. Our bodies depend on Calcium, with 99% in bones, and teeth, while soft tissues hold a lesser degree of it. It is vital for human existence since it provides structural support. Carbon is the building block of the body. It has the greatest capacity to bond non-metallic elements. Thereby, it traps vital minerals in our bodies. There are many billions of carbon atoms that make up life, and the human body is made up of them and is constantly depending and interacting with many more of them. They are important to hold material and non-material substance in its essential forms. Without atoms, there can be no structure.
We breathe atoms. We consume atoms in our food. We drink them in liquids. We are able to see when atoms and photons within the eye meet. A touch is created when atoms in the skin repel other atoms/objects. We are a collection of atms, the Universe is a collection of the same atoms. We were born in the creativity of The Intelligent Designer’s heart, in the loving mist of organic consciousness and blessed with unlimited resources and opportunities. We are made of star stuff, and we are of the stars.
Posted in Mental Elevation, Sifu's Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged creation, elevated mind, energy, Oneness, perception, truth, understanding, unified mind | 1 CommentThe Journey to True Self
July 19, 2011
At the same time as the internal Self begins its collective organization of knowledgeable principles, the Five Senses along with the emotions, have begun to establish elementary relationships and connections with both the material elements and how the senses perceive them. The Self becomes aware of Self and the physical world by way of interaction of senses. This interaction causes stimuli of the emotional intelligence, creating a reciprocal effect with powerful psychological influences and imprinting on the perceptions and sensory cortex. This establishes a foundation of the development of schema, which will become self-perpetrating within one’s self, if patterns, exposures, and habits remain.
So true is the description : “creatures of habit.” The early self is attracted to the pursuit of self gratification. Inspired by pleasure principles and curiosity, this early influence that the emotions have on Self can evolve into an internal emotional struggle for self-awareness, expression, and self-identity. This is the stage of consciousness expanding, of heightening of perception and awareness. Self proceeds to search for True Self, and emotional balance over negative influence and distorted sensory retrieval. Perception, one of the traits of the senses, allows the Self to mentally capture an image and imprint that image within the mind, giving the Self the ability to experience it. We dwell within an ocean of sensory and emotional stimulation. The Self operates as a combined conscious/sub-conscious receiver of data. It’s the interpretation of this coded data, and the emotional relationship and the degree of sensory sensibility that shape us into the Self we become. Self is always going through different degrees of metamorphosis. The Five Senses, or Five Perceptions, of hearing, smelling, seeing, tasting, and touching, along with the primary emotions of Love, Joy, Anger, Sadness, and Fear, resonate within our body’s energies at extremely deep degrees of acceptance. As they clash and merge into a synthesis of expressions of Self, the Self will become what Self chooses and attracts.
The journey to True Self is filled with successes and failures. The Self aspires to acquire knowledge and experience, and to store away such knowledge and experience to use as a compass to guide an individual through life. True Self is your mental image of Self, and resides in conscious awareness of Self.
Posted in Mental Elevation, Sifu's Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged elevated mind, emotion, energy, fear, growth, knowledge, mastery, perception, self-awareness, spirit, unified mind | 4 CommentsAm I Body, or am I Mind?
July 10, 2011
…Oh Ye who sits high on the throne, I bow my head to your creation of perfect imperfection called Man. …Am I Body, or am I Mind?
When I look into a mirror, is the image looking back at me really me? … or am I just a product of that twisted ladder-like DNA arrangement that transforms genetic characteristics into all life forms. The self is an organic biological combination of systems internal, and external that intertwines metaphysical principles and sensory distinctions to express original existence and individuality. The subjective mind and objective body exist in a harmonious unification able to operate independently within the self. The external self and body is the collector of, and interpreter of sensory information, and recorder of physical worldly influences through absorption and interaction.
The physical characteristics that you receive isn’t the true You, it is a combination and reflection of your ancestry (chromosomes), building material merging X’s and Y’s through a creative process called Life. We experience life from inside-out (mind to body) and outside-in (body to mind). The body gives us independence to go and conquer, discover, build and destroy. The body also gives us the ability to control physical elements in our world, and have dominance in it.
The body, the great “Crafter,” instrumentally molds into existence and physical reality, ideas, dreams, and strategies that are requirements for our assured, secure intellectual sensory awareness expansion. The external self is dependent on Nature’s support to sustain and attain superiority in the natural social order. We can never arrive at the nature of things from without. The internal self is the center of Psyche, making Man the wearer of the Crown of Creation. How and what a man thinks internally will be mirrored externally. The internal self is formless contemplation that is nurtured through mental interaction and conceptual imagery within a creative electrical storm. This conceptual framework can become the foundation for your mental schema and your internal self.
The internal self exists outside of space-time, not being subject to the Universal Laws regarding space-time, while generating a creative vortex of energetic realities. This independence is absolute. The internal self operates in a mental and physical liquid vortex that is influenced by conscious intelligence, which provides nourishment for growth of the internal self. The oneness of self lies within the unifying of conscious and subconscious mind into whole brain thinking or one mind bonding. The self is always striving for perfection. The subjective mind and the objective body operate as one integrated whole within the self, and yet in a state of contrasting cognitive equilibrium.
Posted in Mental Elevation, Sifu's Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged creation, elevated mind, energy, growth, mental focus, Oneness, perception, self-awareness, spirit, unified mind | 1 CommentI am Harmonious in Mind and Body.
Reason and Logic: Two Sides of a Coin
June 19, 2011
Imperfection lies in Man’s ignorance.
…Sifu Saleem
The Universal Intelligence in all of it’s infinite glory designed a creation of unlimited excellence. Within Man, lies the seeds of perfection as well as self-destruction. Within the mind of man is the crystallization of everything that was and everything that can be. Nothing has been or will be physically manifested into this world of man except by or through the mind of man. This requires a harmonious mental/emotional environment to assist in developing in a natural and creative state through reason. The mathematical decisiveness of the reasoning abilities of man stand as judge and jury in his logical upward development. Reason is the stairway to logic. Reason must follow a path of subjective and objective contemplation to arrive at a logical summation.
Reason is attracted to a collage of variable shades of inter-connecting levels of experiences, choices, thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Reason then interprets, and emotional pulsations create within the mind only what we can comprehend at that point of our life. There is an emotional and intellectual metamorphosis that we go through as we journey through life experiences.
Reason has many aspects such as informal and formal processing. Formal reasoning describes the process and stages of utilizing the science of deduction, while informal reasoning derives through critical and rational evaluations. Deductive reasoning is an argument for a truth upon conclusion based on fact or that which is assumed fact. Inductive reasoning formulates general statements based on general observations, recurring patterns, and degrees of probability, all based on informal logic or critical thinking.
It matters not the path taken since rationality is the goal of all thinking men. A man who is striving to be of a rational nature and should instruct his powers of the mind to arrive at logical conclusions. The road to becoming a rational and logical person is clustered with major distractions such as emotional choices. When reason is called upon, it must gather and intelligently express itself through the emotions and the values, all the while borrowing from the knowledge and experiences to arrive at a logical point of view.
Reason is pure in its original state of neutrality. First there is thought which triggers an emotion either positive or negative. That emotion scans your value system to see if you agree or disagree with the thought and/or emotional feedback. Then your knowledge/experience begins to support your choice, and you may begin to reason your position. Actions reflect thought, and thought is reflected by your rational or irrational behavior or actions in a given situation, be it reasonable or unreasonable.
The mind of limited resources (knowledge) has a limited reasoning ability, as the conclusions of any individual will be in direct relationship with that person’s knowledge base and that which supports it. Knowledge impacts the direction and position of one’s point of reference. To expand the knowledge/experience is to expand an unseen inconceivable reasoning power. The mind must filter through our value system all the information intake that it is exposed to. After this filtration it goes through a process that assigns values or categories such as importance, beliefs or fears. Your individual reasoning abilities begin to take shape. The relationship between knowledge and reason can even be seen in infants. Before we have accumulated knowledge, we experience instinctual reasoning, which is derived from our five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Everything we perceive through the senses is categorized within our system of importance in order to strengthen our elementary foundation and our reasonable actions. Imperfection lies in Man’s ignorance. The will of man has multiple value functions to strengthen positive actions or to derail negative actions. This is done in harmony for accomplishing a goal while communicating with the inner voice of reason. The will power places itself over reason to help instill self-discipline and self-control. The power of the will controls all inhibitions and directs the thoughts and actions on a path of mutual innate reasoning.
The survival of man depends on a mastery of his mental faculties and skills. Reason is a rational means to adding or eliminating information to assist one to arrive at a logical point of view, not only with problem solving but also in creative/critical thinking. Reason must be treated with pure honesty since reason can and may justify any deed that we deem to be of a vital nature. Reason has no intelligence of its own, it is merely relative to the individual, borrowing from the cumulative value system, which fluctuates with growth. Learning how to arrive at logical conclusions, judgements, and form intelligent arguments, that are structured on solid foundations, is the fundamental use for reason. The mental powers of man require a complex interdependent weaving of contemplation, and reason is but one faculty of the mind’s mental process. Reason allows man to interact with the physical and the mind’s non-physical realm. Through reasoning power, there is an ignition of magnetic attraction for creativity and intuitive knowing leading to an intellectual “lighting of the way” through man’s conscious, super-conscious and subconscious mind to arrive at higher states of wisdom, comprehension, sensing, and knowing.
Posted in Sifu's Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged elevated mind, emotion, growth, intuitive, knowledge, logic, mastery, perception, reason, self-awareness, understanding, unified mind | 2 CommentsReality 101
May 21, 2011
I exist to be manifested in all things.
I am indisputable.
I belong to the Past, Present and the Future.
…I am Reality. (Sifu Saleem)
Ideas, attitudes and perception all have a role in our assumption of reality. One of the most misconstrued states is the state of reality. A mountain of inherited myths adds to the clouded perception of what reality is. Over a period of time, one begins to reflect their external environment far beyond their internal understanding of reality. Reality requires knowing, … knowing requires experience, and experience requires reason. In order to have understanding, you must be able to place a “thing” into a category. To have knowing, you must have experience with that thing or knowledge of that thing. Reason is the filter which allows taking certain steps to arrive at a conclusive interpretation of reality.
Reality is birthed through ideas. When an idea is adopted, at that very second, your degree of reality has been adjusted. The adjustment could impact your entire perception and interpretation of reality. So, what is reality? …It is anything and everything that we assume to be real. In other words, reality is whatever we believe, from the monster under the bed, to having the ability to fly to the moon. Limit your dreams, ideas, and influences, and you limit your reality.
The mere thought of having, doing, or being creates a level of desire that activates a vibration that attunes us to a reality. This vibration of the desire stimulates our creative soul and arouses within us not only in the physical, but also mental, emotional and spiritual levels. It also arouses energetically in our external environment for a means to accomplish and express itself as a possible reality. Just a thought can draw the physical body into relationship with sensory information and conceptual imagery that craves to be expressed. All great accomplishments are a product of our conceptual imagery. Conceptual imagery has a direct connection to our sensory receptors, the absorption from which feeds our realities. With an idea, your physical body will respond as though it is a reality. To name a thing is to categorize that thing, which also places that thing into a certain idea/reality which eliminates or solidifies and magnifies the possible reality of the thing. This process of categorizing gives us the ability to create the reality we desire. We believe and focus on reality. Reality is ever adaptable and can be totally submissive to our expectations, understanding and needs.
Because of the potential for possible multiple realities, man will forever strive to understand or comprehend his place in reality and to reach an elevated knowledge and acceptance of the universal multi-dimensional truths and realities that are outside of the acceptance of possibilities.
Therefore, man must gradually elevate his acceptance of what is true in spiritual existence and vibrational energetic reality. Man must break out of physical perceptions and go beyond his bondage of physical containment. The mind must be elevated to the realities of Oneness and energetic unity that permeates the entire Universe in pure consciousness.
Reality is a complex, yet simplistic network that overlaps in layers the thought process of an individual based on his acceptance and interpretation of his experiences. The duality of self is one reality that man must explore. Such things as social realities or physical, or functional realities impact our social consciousness nudging us on the path of growth and development through a perceived interaction of mental, physical and emotional stimulation of our interpretation of life’s experiences. Life experiences are waning and waxing. In this sea of conscious/unconscious state of metamorphosis, the battle for reality is fought mainly by the conscious mind. This is sometimes called the logical mind. Reason must find its intellectual equilibrium in order for reality to manifest and be used to estimate the relative weight of importance of the stimulus.
The conscious mind is alert and interactively discerning in all the thought processes which give birth to our comprehensive actions. You can decide if you want to focus your attention on an action or not. However, keep in mind that all outside activity that is witnessed has a subliminal impact on your inside activity (mind) to the degree of your understanding. This means all things you witness will shape or reshape your reality, truths, and perceptions, to assist you in finding balance in your mind’s comprehensive digestion of reality. Some believe that reality, truth, and perception are all the same, yet reality reflects an individual’s experience and acceptance. Perception is an individual’s viewpoint, which is supported by clear vision, knowledge of the subject, and belief in the subject. Perception can exist without it being based in reality. Reality can exist without the understanding of truth. Truth is.
Posted in Mental Elevation, Sifu's Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged clarity of vision, creation, dimension, elevated mind, emotion, energy, intuitive, knowledge, mastery, mental focus, Oneness, perception, reality, reason, self-awareness, spirit, truth, understanding, unified mind, vibration | 5 CommentsTournament Winners
May 8, 2011
Lam Tang is proud to announce that we have winners from this past weekends tournament in Charlotte, NC. Hassiem Muhammad placed in three first place categories: Kung Fu forms, 14-15 year old sparring, and stepped up outside of his age group to take 16-17 year old sparring as well.
Brandon Haltiwanger took away two second place medals in tai chi and in intermediate Kung Fu forms.
Thomas Wright took a first place medal in beginne
r Kung Fu forms and second place in sparring.
Our heartiest congratulations to all three of these young men and a big thanks for representing Lam Tang so well!
Posted in Sifu's Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged tournaments | 3 CommentsBecoming a Disciple of Truth
April 25, 2011
Pure Truth, like the sought after Philosopher’s Stone said to be the elixir of life, is at that essential core where enlightened seekers find great treasures disguised in pure simplicity.
The martial artist who lives in worldly illusions lives in confusion. Illusions are based on a mental state of falsehoods, leaving a person in a state of mental deception of which they are unaware and in total acceptance of their mental state. The pinnacle of a martial artist’s growth is searching for self truth which will govern his entire existence. This self truth is a living essence that can grow or shrink, depending on deeds, growing with goodness, or shrinking with unkind actions. This self truth is an internal compass that can guide one through all life’s obstacles. A martial artist must learn how to protect this essence. There are invisible subliminal experiences that radiate our psyche polluting and corrupting truth. This influences our perception, and acceptance, and actions based on what we believe is truth. Truth causes man to stand for a principal even if he disagrees with it.
Man’s truth lies within himself. As he believes, so shall he be. Man’s truth is seen in his creative expressions, and his usage of his freewill, which can be used to search, learn and express the truth or the untruth. Before one can perceive pure truth, it is mandatory that one be in a state of Oneness with all things. Your mind must operate in the now because the now is where your truth exists. To spend time dwelling on the past, or focusing on the future is idle daydreaming. In the now, you begin to nourish the truth. You begin to speak the truth. And you begin to live the truth. Sooner or later, you will begin to transmute all distractions that are intended to keep you from the truth. The truth is pure in its original essence. Time can corrupt truth and pollute it with opinions of the many, turning the clean flowing truth into gossip, myths, and deceptions, that become a tool to dissuade those who seek truth. On his path of martial development, truth must be at the core of the martial artist, and become his compass to gauge and track his growth. Know thyself should be the motto of the martial artist as he sets his sights on goals that must be wrapped in truth within himself and without. Truthfulness allows the martial artist to see himself as he is, and understand that his weaknesses will be his strengths tomorrow. He also understands that his strengths are to be used to elevate his desires. The pathway to truthfulness lies in the void, and the void lies within. The three harmonies of mind, body and spirit, and a path of meditation is the one to follow. The truth will always reflect the moral strength of a person and as such, the truth will manifest itself as man grows into his higher self. Truth is not a belief that man has to create. Truth is eternal. Truth is.
Posted in Mental Elevation, Sifu's Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged clarity of vision, elevated mind, mastery, Oneness, perception, spirit, truth, unified mind | 14 Comments ← Older postsI am an antennae for Truth, reaching out for information to nourish my soul and elevate my spirit. ………Sifu Saleem